Sweden: New Questions About the Death of Lars Vilks

Hat tip Dagen Juridik and Fredrik

There is a new twist to last year's accident that claimed the life of Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks and two police bodyguards. Near the scene of the accident, a security camera recorded what sounds like three shots just before the crash. In addition, a spent bullet was found inside the car. Police cannot determine with certainty what the bangs were other than possibly the sound of tires blowing out. In addition, police state that the bullet had struck no hard surfaces and was possibly a bullet fired by one of the officers on a prior exercise, such as fired into a water tank and kept as a souvenir. In other words, they do not believe the bullet had been fired into the vehicle.

I have talked to a couple of my Swedish contacts, and they are of different opinions as to this aspect of the case. In my own opinion, for what it is worth, it would seem to me that when two cops are killed, the police will do as exhaustive an investigation as is necessary before ruling out foul play.

The below article from Dagens Juridik, is translated by Fousesquawk. The audio link to the sounds of the suspicious bangs can be accessed in the below link as well. A translated video is pending.

https://www.dagensjuridik.se/nyheter/mystiska-smallar-sekunderna-innan-vilks-dodskrasch/

Mysterious bangs seconds before Vilks' fatal crash-Listen to the clip

Posted June 27, 2022 at 13:48

Caption: Police criminal technicians and investigators working art accident scene on E4 by Markeryd where artist Larsd Vilks, 75, and two policemen died. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT/

In the vicinity of the location where Lars Vilks and two policemen fatally crashed, there is a villa with a security camera.

In the audio of the security camera, which Dagens Juridik has had access to, just before the crash two bangs in rapid succession are heard.

Then there is silence for 5 seconds before a third bang is heard.

It sounds like shots.

"We don't know what the sound is, but (we) have discounted shots because we found no trace of that in the vehicle," says chief prosecutor Per Nichols.

It was in the afternoon of October 3 of last year. Artist Lars Vilks was with his police bodyguards en route from Stockholm to Skåne. They were riding in two Range Rover Sentinels, specially-built cars weighing over 4 tons.

In the first car was riding Lars Vilks, who was in the back seat and two policemen were in front. At 15:22 the first alarm about the crash came to 112.

The car in which Vilks was riding had crossed to the wrong side of E4 just north of the South Markryd junction and collided with a truck. The car "was wedged" under the truck, and a large fire broke out. 

Vilks and policemen died

All three in the car died and were dead when the first rescue vehicle arrived. The driver of the truck was seriously injured but survived.

A witness, who had been passed by the car with Vilks just before the crash, stated that the Range Rover "was shaking", that it began to smoke, and "vehicle parts (came off)" before the car first drove over to the right lane and then turned over the highway and collided with the truck in the opposite lane. The witness reported that the car was driving, "extremely fast" and estimated the speed at 178-180 kilometers per hour.

The other Range Rover, the following car, was so far behind the Vilks car that they did not see the accident. They came to the scene of the accident a good while after the crash-when the rescue services were already at the scene and did not understand that it was their colleagues who crashed until they saw a tire of the same type that they had on their own car.

Investigation closed

Two weeks ago, the investigation into the incident was closed. According to the chief prosecutor, the investigation showed that "no crime was committed."

"What happened on the highway was a tragic accident. We have conducted an extensive analysis with a technical investigation of the scene and witness statements. The security-classified car was checked and there was an analysis of the sound recordings. In summary, it is most likely that a tire blew out on the police vehicle, and then the driver lost control over the vehicle, which crossed over to the other side of the road and crashed head-on with the truck," says chief prosecutor Per Nichols of the Special Prosecutor's Office.

But there are several questions in the preliminary investigation.

Caption: Bullet found in car- Police photo

When the police technicians went inside the heavily demolished car, a pistol bullet was found, that is, a fired "shot", from what was apparently a 9mm  Luger.

The bullet has been examined and the technicians' conclusion is that is a "trophy bullet", which was fired in, for example, a water tank during an exercise by one of the policemen who was riding in the car and who had saved it. The bullet had not struck a hard surface, the forensic experts write, either before or after expansion.  

Audio recordings from time of accident

In the preliminary investigation, there are also two audio recordings. In (one) of them, is heard what is described as "a tire explosion", and there is also a sound that was captured after the accident when the car caught on fire. A half-minute after the tire explosion, sirens are heard from the first rescue vehicle which came to the scene.

But police have been unable to identify the sound in the first clip, the three bangs. "It cannot be stated what the bangs/puffs were," it says in a memo regarding the NFC's (Swedish National Forensic Center) sound analysis. 

When Dagens Juridik spoke with the chief prosecutor, Per Nichols, he said that they discount that it was a gunshot heard in the clip.

How have you discounted that?

"We have looked for bullet fragments, explosive fragments, and so on without finding anything." 

But what is it heard there on the video?

"That we do not know."

Thus, gunshots are ruled out since they couldn't find any traces of that- and at the same time, they state that the crash probably happened due to a tire, for unknown reasons, blew out. From the images in the preliminary investigation, it is deemed that at least two of the four tires were totally destroyed in the fire after the crash. 

"The tires were badly damaged by the fire and the rubber was almost completely gone," the technicians write in the report regarding the two rear tires.

Caption: One of the rear tires

In the police report of investigation, the sound clips are also mentioned. It states: "The vehicle, vehicle parts, and skid marks from the road have been forensically investigated in order to find any residue of explosive substances, No such substance has been found to date. The above-mentioned sound recordings have been analyzed by NFC which cannot state what the repetitive sound was caused by prior to the tires screeching."

Listen to the sound clip here:

.

France: Justice for November 13

Today in Paris, a special criminal court announced its verdicts in the terror trial of the November 13, 2015 attacks in and around Paris that claimed 130 lives. Salah Abdeslam, the principal defendant and the only surviving member of the terror team that struck the Bataclan nightclub, the Stadium of France, and outdoor cafes on that fateful evening, received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Nineteen other sentences ranged from 2 years to life with a minimum of 22 years to be served.

The below article from today's France Bleu is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/faits-divers-justice/proces-du-13-novembre-salah-abdeslam-reconnu-coupable-de-meurtres-et-association-de-malfaiteurs-1656526981

November 13 trial: Salah Abdeslam sentenced to life with no parole

Wednesday 29 June 2022 at 20:23. Updated Wednesday 29 June 2022 at 21:18 by Morgane Heuclin- Reffait, France Bleu, Paris

This is the epilogue of almost 10 months of trial, more than 6 years after the attacks of November 13, 2015. Salah Abdeslam, the sole survivor of the commando, is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Caption: The special criminal court delivered its verdict Wednesday evening after about 10 months of trial for the attacks of November 13, 2015 (photo@ Maxppp-Daniel Fouray)

Salah Abdeslam, the sole survivor of the November 13, 2015 attack commando, is sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The special criminal court found him guilty of "murders as part of an organized gang in connection to a terrorist enterprise" Wednesday evening. It is the heaviest sentence provided by the penal code, which makes any possibility of release minimal. The court, thus, followed the recommendations of the prosecution. 

"The culpability of Salah Abdeslam as to being a co-perpetrator of the acts of murder in relation to a terrorist enterprise has been upheld insofar as the court has considered that the targets altogether should be recognized as one and the same scene of the crime," stated the president of the court in beginning the announcement of the verdict. The court has concluded that the explosive belt that Salah Abdeslam "was wearing was not functional, which puts his declarations as to backing out seriously in question."

Sentences from 2 years to life without parole

All of the accused, with the exception of one, Fraid Kharkhach, were found guilty on all the counts of the indictment. The other 19 defendants are sentenced to sentences ranging from 2 years in prison for Farid Kharkhach to life without parole for the Clain brothers, presumed dead in Syria. Among them, the three who appeared in court free under judicial supervision, are not subject to an order of (custody): That means that they will benefit from an adjustment of sentence.

In his final appearance before the court on Monday, Salah Abdeslam had again reiterated his "sincere" apologies to the victims. "I am not an assassin, I am not a killer," he had stressed from the defendant's dock. The defense attorney of Salah Abdeslam had recalled in his pleading that life without parole has  been given only 4 times in France, against men recognized as "psychopaths" and sentenced for crimes committed against minors.

As for Mohamed Abrini, childhood friend of Salah Abdeslam, he was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 22 years to be served, as the prosecution asked for, found guilty of complicity in murders and attempted murders. He also spoke a lot during the hearing(s), acknowledging that he had been, "scheduled for November 13," before he backed out, of which he did not provide any explanations. 

End of a (very long) trial

This is the epilogue of 149 days of hearings for the court, the survivors, and relatives of the victims of the November 13, 2015 attacks. Salah Abdeslam is the only one of the 14 accused present before the court who took part in the commando that raged through the outdoor cafes, the Bataclan, and the Stadium of France. Six other accused, of whom 5 are presumed dead, were sentenced in absentia. On June 10, the prosecution had requested sentences ranging from 5 years in prison to life for the 20 defendants.

These last (defendants) still have the possibility of appealing their sentences for 10 days. As for 9 other members of the kamikaze commando, they died the evening of the attacks, killed while setting off their explosive belts or killed by police gunshots. 

France: Verdict in November 13 Terror Trial Expected Today

 

-Le Figaro

The verdict in the November 13 terror attacks trial in Paris is expected sometime after 18:30 hours, Paris time. That is about one hour from now. We will put up a French report when the verdict is announced. The chief defendant is Salah Abdeslam, the lone surviving member of the terror group that struck Paris on November 13, 2015, which included the notorious Bataclan nightclub massacre.

Prince Charles and Qatar

God Save the Prince

Prince Charles, eagerly awaiting his accession to the throne, is having to explain away why his getting 3 million euros from a Qatari ex-president is all on the up and up. The money was immediately deposited into his charity, says Charles. The donations occurred in separate occasions between 2011-2015.

 https://www.chron.com/news/article/Prince-Charles-denies-any-wrongdoing-over-17266476.php

I know nothing about Prince Charles' charity. There are two things that stick out here. First of all, for the sake of appearances, if nothing else, don't you think Prince Charles would have been better served to have the donation deposited by check into the charity's account-as opposed to someone handing him bags of cold hard cash? Unseemly?

The other thing is Qatar itself. This is a corrupt, double-dealing country that supports many terrorist organizations. On the other hand, much like Saudi Arabia, they pretend to be the friends of the West. They donate money to universities to create Middle East Studies departments, most, if not all of which, are anti-Western and anti-Israel centers of indoctrination. Northwestern University, just as an example, established a Middle East Studies center in Qatar.

In addition, the government-supported news outlet, Al Jazeera, employs a variety of Western stooges, journalists, writers, and professors to get their message to the West. They are in no short supply.

Qatar is also the country of refuge for the Egyptian sheikh, Yusuf al Qaradawi, who is the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. This is a man who preaches hatred against Jews and dreams of dying in a jihad against the Infidel.

There is something about the idea of Western big shots like Prince Charles receiving money from countries like Qatar. And in bags of cash no less. 

Rolling Stones to Perform in Berlin

 

"Good news, mein Fuehrer! The Rolling Stones are coming to Berlin"

General Steiner never made it to Berlin, but the Rolling Stones will. They are scheduled to perform in the German capital August 3.

So all you conspiracy buffs who think Hitler is still alive somewhere (he would be 133), check out the screaming crowd on August 3. If you see a little old guy in his 130s with a clipped white mustache jumping up and down, there he is!

Then again, it just might be Keith Richards.

Norway: Terror Suspect Linked to Local Islamist

There is more information coming out about the Oslo shooter in Friday's terror attack against a gay bar in Oslo. Police have linked Zaniar Matapour, the accused shooter, to a previously convicted Islamist leader in Norway named Arfan Bhatti.

The below article from Swedish State TV is translated by Fousesquawk. We are working on translating the video in the below article.

 https://www.svt.se/nyheter/terrormisstankt-man-kopplas-till-kand-norsk-islamist

Caption: 42-year-old Zaniar Matapour is suspected for the crime in Norway. Now he is connected to a known Norwegian Islamist, several media sources are reporting.

Terror suspect man linked to known Norwegian Islamist

Update today at 10:11, posted today at 09;49

After the weekend's act of violence in connection with the Pride Festival, several media sources are reporting that terror suspect Zaniar Matap[our, 42, has connections with the leader of an Islamist organization. The man was earlier convicted for shooting at a Jewish meeting place.

"They were earlier neighbors," confirms Matapour's lawyer without going into many details.

After the shooting Friday night, which deprived two persons of their lives, Matapour has been deprived of his liberty.

On Monday, a large number of media, including Aftenposten and NRK, that he is reportedly in the circle around Arfan Bhatti, who in 2021 co-created the organization, Prophet's Ummah.

As early as the same year, according to Norwegian Public Service, the group was investigated by the Norwegian Security Police (PST) after they threatened "a new July 22nd"-the date of the rightwing extremist terror attack on Utoya and in Oslo.

NRK further reported that Bhatti, on June 14 this year, posted a picture of a burning Pride flag on social media. On this profile picture at the time, there was also a quote calling for the killing of homosexuals.

Caption: Arfan Bhatti co-founded the organization, "Prophet's Ummah". Archival photo.

The men reportedly drove in a car together

At a press conference over the weekend, PST reported that Matapour and Bhatti recently rode in the same car in connection with a demonstration against a Koran burning. Information that Matapour's  defense attorney, John Christian Elden, did not comment further on other than writing to TV2:

"My client was neither reported nor arrested during the ride as far as I know."

The lawyer also reported that he had no details about the relationship between his client and Bhatti-other than the men were neighbors.

Matapour earlier known to police

As late as May, the PST had contact with Matapour after he, according to their information, showed an interest in statements that were perceived as violating Islam.

"It wasn't considered in this conversation that the perpetrator had violent intentions, but PST is aware that the perpetrator has had challenges connected to mental health," said Borge Enoksen of the Oslo Police on Sunday. That is reported by TT.

The country's justice minister has announced that both the police and PST will be examined as to how they handled the information they had earlier about Matapour.

SVT is seeking an interview with Chamber Prosecutor Ingvild Myrold.

Belgium: Vlaams Belang Statement on Oslo Terror Attack

Oslo-CNN

Ortwin Depoortere of the conservative Flemish party, Vlaams Belang in Belgium, has made an important statement regarding the Friday night attack at a gay club in Oslo, Norway. Simply put, it was an Islamic terror attack, and as long as Europe's leaders continue to allow mass migration from Muslim countries, terrorism will always be present. The solution? Stop Islamic migration now.

The below statement from the Vlaams Belang website is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.vlaamsbelang.org/aanslag-in-oslo-was-islamistische-terreur/

Sunday 26 June 2022- Posted in News

Attack in Oslo was Islamist terror

Two were killed and 21 injured in a terrorist attack at a gay club in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The perpetrator was a Norwegian of Iranian origin, and the police have classified the attack as Islamic terror.  "How many attacks are still necessary before the left sees the danger of Islamic fundamentalism?" says Parliamentary member and BiZa (Interior Ministry) committee chairman Ortwin Depoortere. "If we do not stop mass migration and Islamization, Europe will just get more dangerous. In the meantime, our security services have to track down and smoke out as many Islamists as possible." 

In a shooting Friday evening in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, two people died and 21 others were wounded. Eight of them were taken to a hospital, three of whom are reportedly in serious condition. The attack is considered "an act of Islamist terror" by the Norwegian intelligence service, PST. The suspect is a 42-year-old Norwegian of Iranian origin with ISIS sympathies. Since 2015, he has been on the radar of the intelligence service for radicalization, and he had a past record of violence and threats. Due to the attack, the terror threat level in Norway is raised to the highest level. Normally planned this week was a Pride parade in Oslo, but it has been canceled due to the attack and heightened terror threat.

"This shooting is the umpteenth terror attack in Europe in the space of a few years," says Depoortere. "And each time, it is Islamist perpetrators with a heartfelt hatred for the West, which was detected by our intelligence services."

"The self-proclaimed progressives who pretend that they stand for gay rights and more migration from Islamic countries, should better reflect and realize that both are opposed to each other," concludes Depoortere. "It is, thus, important that we move to a halt to migration. In the meantime, our security services have to track down and smoke out the Islamist terror cells. These are deadly elements in our society that are living under our noses, but they have to be removed as a priority. With radical Islam present, we will always have to look over our shoulders. And whoever sows more Islamization, will reap terror."

Did We Have an Insurrection Friday at the Arizona State Capitol? Just Askin'

Hat tip Red State. This article first appeared in New English Review.

-Reuters

On Friday evening, while the Arizona legislature was still in session voting on bills in the Arizona State Capitol building in Phoenix, several thousand protesters, enraged over the US Supreme Court decision on abortion, descended on the building, threatened to break through the glass doors, vandalized outside monuments, and had to be dispersed by police using tear gas. All the while, lawmakers, many of whom later reported having felt like hostages, were evacuated by police.

https://redstate.com/beccalower/2022/06/25/arizona-ag-denounces-angry-mob-for-vandalizing-police-memorial-in-phoenix-capitol-riot-n584251

The comparisons between this event and the January 6, 2021 event in Washington are obvious though the Arizona incident pales in comparison to the Washington incident. But the question is being asked by many: Was what occurred in Phoenix Friday night an insurrection-as many label January 6, an insurrection designed to stop or influence lawmakers inside who were deliberating on other issues?

Just to be clear, I condemn both incidents. Whether January 6 represented an actual attempted insurrection is a matter for debate, but here is my point: Will the reactions to Friday night be similar to the January 6 reactions? In other words, will there be a US Department of Justice investigation, and will charges be brought against the protesters in Arizona-those that can be identified after an exhaustive investigation? Will those charged be held for a year or so in solidarity confinement? Will there be prison sentences? Will there be Congressional hearings? Will our news media, led by CNN, spend the next year or so condemning what happened in Arizona?

Just askin'.

Of course, to be fair, there are contrasts, especially in terms of severity. Nobody was killed Friday night, no police officers were assaulted or injured, and apparently, nobody actually breached the Capitol building. There was no vote ongoing to validate the Supreme Court decision on Roe vs. Wade.

But things did get out of hand in Phoenix, and police had to defend the Capitol from being breached by a mob of thousands of angry protesters while lawmakers were inside conducting the People's business. It went beyond a peaceful protest.

Of course, hypocrisy cuts both ways, and those who would condemn Friday's incident in Phoenix but excuse January 6 can fairly be accused of hypocrisy-whatever you think of the 2020 election and whatever you think of the Supreme Court's decision on abortion. I did not like the results of the 2020 election, and I still have my doubts about what occurred on Election Night in places like Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Milwaukee. I am opposed to abortion, but I think I can understand the anger of those on the other side of the debate. 

All of which is irrelevant as far as I am concerned because I condemn both incidents and I concede there are distinctions in terms of severity. But if what happened in Arizona Friday night has disappeared from the news in a couple of days-or not reported at all by certain news sources, then somebody is guilty of hypocrisy. 

Who to Blame for Oslo? The US Supreme Court???

On Saturday night in Oslo, Norway, a 42-year-old man of Iranian origin opened fire at a gay bar while screaming, "Allahu Akhbar!". Two people are dead and over a dozen wounded.

As Norway tries to come to grips with this attack during a week of gay pride celebrations, Jonas Gardell, a Swedish columnist in the Swedish newspaper, Expressen, has his own theory about what happened in neighboring Norway. Nowhere in the article is mentioned the report that the attacker is a Muslim immigrant from Iran who had a previous criminal record and was previously diagnosed as mentally ill. Nowhere is there any mention of the reference to "Allahu Akhbar". Nowhere is there any mention of Islam's well-known hostility to homosexuality. There is a mention of the infamous 2016 Orlando attack on the Pulse (gay) nightclub, but no mention of who carried it out-a Muslim extremist.

The connection that the writer wants us to make is this week's US Supreme Court decision striking down Roe vs. Wade, a hate crime, according to the Swedish writer.

The op-ed in question is linked below. I am translating only that portion that refers to the Supreme Court decision.

 https://www.expressen.se/kultur/jonas-gardell/nattens-attack-visar--det-brutala-hatet-mot-oss/

"The evening's attack shows how brutal the hate against us still is.

In my eyes, we must connect this hate crime with the hate crime that the USA's highest court subjected America's women to yesterday.

Only hours earlier, 6 conservative justices decided that abortion rights were being revoked since the right to an abortion is not mentioned in the original constitution dating back to the late 18th century, and now abortion bans are being introduced at a frantic pace in a number of US states. The State- read men- once again, is taking over the right to decide over women's bodies. 

Many are warning that the US Supreme Court, with the same argument, is ready to tear up same-sex marriage and enable a ban against homosexuality in the USA.

How clear it is for me on this Midsummer day of grief and anger in Paradise that the hate of the Oslo killer and the hate of the Supreme Court are similar to each other.

Hate comes from the same source."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To connect the US Supreme Court decision, which merely refers the abortion question back to the states, is outrageous.  Regardless of where you stand on Roe vs Wade, saving the lives of an untold number of babies is not a hate crime. To liken it to a man who pulls out a gun and shoots people dead is an outrage.

Was this an act of homophobia by the Oslo shooter based on religious belief? It appears so, but we await further information from the authorities. No matter who did it or what the motivation, it is to be condemned just as decent people everywhere condemned the Orlando attack and the previous Norway attack by Anders Breivik, who killed 72 people in 2011 because he was angry over massive Islamic migration into Norway. It was wrong. It was evil.

I may not agree on every stance taken by organized gay lobbies, but I do not want to see them harmed. It does no service to the gay community worldwide to ignore or mask the true motive for a particular killing. What happened in Oslo has nothing to do with the US Supreme Court or abortion rights. If it is to have any meaning, it must be followed by a full and open discussion of why it happened. If this was a case of a man lashing out at a gay target because of what he perceived his religious teaching to be, that must be acknowledged. That is not to demonize every Muslim living in Norway because not every Muslim in Norway is inclined to shoot up a gay bar while (allegedly) shouting, "Allahu Akhbar".  But it must be discussed both within and outside the gay and Muslim communities.

It does no good to cry about evil if you are not willing to identify the perpetrators. Just like women and the Jewish community, it does no good to complain about sexism, misogyny, and anti-Semitism, if you are not willing to identify all the perpetrators no matter who they are. The gay community needs to stand up and decry hate from every source-including when it comes from Muslim extremists.

Norway: Two Dead in Oslo: Police Call It "Islamic Terror", Gay Bar Hit

Arrest of suspect-Daily Mail

 A 42-year-old  Iranian immigrant, identified as Zaniar Matapour, is charged with two counts of murder after opening fire at a gay bar in Oslo, Norway Saturday night during gay pride celebrations. Norwegian police are calling this an act of Islamic terror. Matapour reportedly immigrated to Norway with his family when he was 12 and was known to police.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10952391/PICTURED-Iranian-Norwegian-terrorist-42-killed-two-Islamist-attack-Oslo-gay-bar.html

Jihad Watch, citing the Norwegian news outlet, Dagbladet, reports that the attacker was screaming, "Allahu Akhbar" during the attack.

*Update: The Swedish news outlet, Aftonbladet, posted a video of the shooting and the takedown of the shooter (viewer warning). We are working on a translation of the Swedish subtitles. (H/T Vlad Tepes)

https://youtu.be/AtFCm1mxz4E

 

 ** Update: Here is the English translation of the video sub-titles. Translation by Fousesquawk.

 

Spain: New Border Assault at Melilla: 18 Migrants Dead During Stampede

-El Pais

Once again, the Spanish border enclave of Melilla, bordering Morocco has been hit with a wave of African migrants attempting to storm their way into Europe via Spain. The results this time were tragic as 18 migrants, reportedly mostly Sudanese, were killed by being crushed or by asphyxiation. There are many more injuries to both migrants and border police.

The below article from El Independiente is translated by Fousesquawk. We hope to have a translated news video up tomorrow. Note that the below article reports 5 deaths, but more recent sources are reporting 18 deaths.

 https://www.elindependiente.com/espana/2022/06/24/las-impactantes-imagenes-de-los-inmigrantes-que-intentaron-saltar-la-valla-de-melilla/

The images of the immigrants who tried to jump the fence at Melilla

El Independiente

June 24, 2022, 19:21

The tragedy took place Friday next to the fence at Melilla, where at least 5 immigrants lost their lives trying to get to the perimeter to access the Spanish side in a new attempt. The deaths took place on Moroccan territory, whose security forces could not avoid the crossing of hundreds of sub-Saharans.

The cause of the deaths is reportedly crushing or asphyxiation being trapped in a valley near the border perimeter. According to information from the official Moroccan agency, MAP, citing as sources the authorities of Nador, there are another 76 injured (13 of them seriously).

In the video that accompanies these lines, hundreds of migrants are seen fallen on the ground under custody of Moroccan gendarmes, many of them injured as a consequence of the (human) avalanche. Some inert bodies can also be (noticed).

*Update- June 25, 2022. The below video from El Pais is translated by Fousesquawk.

DOJ Objects to Supreme Court Ruling on Gun Rights

This week's news about the US Supreme Court ruling against a New York State law that made it harder for citizens to arm themselves has now been overshadowed by today's ruling on Roe vs Wade. While I agree with the Court's decision that otherwise law-abiding citizens should not have to demonstrate a specific need for possessing a firearm for protection, I am appalled by the statement put out yesterday by the DOJ Office of Public Affairs. DOJ is officially expressing its opposition to the decision.

 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-statement-supreme-court-ruling-new-york-state-rifle-pistol-association-inc

Office of Public Affairs

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Justice Department Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen

The Department of Justice today released the following statement from spokeswoman Dena Iverson following the Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc., et al. v. Bruen, Superintendent of New York State Police, et al.:

“We respectfully disagree with the Court’s conclusion that the Second Amendment forbids New York’s reasonable requirement that individuals seeking to carry a concealed handgun must show that they need to do so for self-defense. The Department of Justice remains committed to saving innocent lives by enforcing and defending federal firearms laws, partnering with state, local and tribal authorities and using all legally available tools to tackle the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our communities.”

Component(s): 

Office of Public Affairs

Department of Justice

------------------------------------------

Fousesquawk comment:

We are living in troubled times, and the leak of a draft opinion that started the abortion controversy has already put the Supreme Court in the crosshairs, as evidenced by the recent incident in front of Justice Kavanaugh's home-to say nothing of the protests in front of the homes of conservative justices. Protests that violate federal law designed to shield judges from public pressure as to their decisions.

Once again, Attorney General Merrick Garland has shown himself to be a political animal. In my view, he has overstepped his bounds. A press release like this is not just unprofessional. It is adding fuel to the fire.

Press Release Number: 

22-659

--------------------------------------------------

Italy: More on that Lake Garda-Milan Train Incident

On June 2, a group of Italian girls riding a train from Lake Garda to Milan was harassed and sexually molested by a large gang of migrant youth, who were believed to have also been responsible for a riot that occurred earlier at the Lake Garda resort of Peschiera.

The below article from RAIR Foundation USA, Gates of Vienna, and Vlad Tepes features a subtitled video which is translated by HeHa.

 https://gatesofvienna.net/2022/06/how-far-does-it-have-to-go/

Sweden: Who Is in Power in Gothenburg?

 Christofer Ahlqvist, editor-in-chief of the Gothenburg Post in Sweden, has an important article today regarding Gothenburg's gang leaders. He includes the names and photos of 12 of the gang leaders. (He actually refers to 13, but only 12 pictures appear. The below photos appear in the article linked directly below, however, there is a subscriber block on that article. Today's GP also has an accompanying article that introduces the expose. That is translated by Fousesquawk. We are trying to attach names to the below photos through other sources. At seems that at least some of the below individuals are now in prison.

These gangs are exclusively run by immigrants from the usual hot spots in the Middle East and North Africa, Somalia, Afghanistan, etc. We have translated previous articles regarding the gang situation in Gothenburg including last year's murder of a policeman. 

https://www.gp.se/nyheter/g%C3%B6teborg/d%C3%B6mda-13-utpekade-g%C3%A4ngledare-i-g%C3%B6teborg-1.75432532

https://www.gp.se/nyheter/d%C3%A4rf%C3%B6r-m%C3%A5ste-vi-betrakta-g%C3%A4ngledare-som-makthavare-1.75451296

Caption: 20 people have been murdered within the context of the gang war in Biskopsgaden. (Neigborhood in Gothenburg). Last summer a policeman was shot to death during his work shift in the quarter. Photo: Anders Ylander

Christofer Ahlqvist: Why we must consider gang leaders as (being) those in power

Chronicle- Murdered children, kidnappings, and witness testimonies that are withdrawn. The criminal gangs affect tens of thousands in Gothenburgers in the neighborhoods they hold hostage. Today, Gothenburg Post examines the gangs and here Editor-in-Chief Christofer Ahlqvists explains why the identified gang leaders should be viewed as (being) those in power.

"You're not getting in here!" The message to our team was clear. The threatening people did not want us to carry out our journalistic assignment in the neighborhood. The incident occurred when we were going to report on the unrest that broke out in connection with the fatal shooting in Hjallbo last year. We were forced to do our live broadcast from another location than what was (planned). The next day we were back in the neighborhood again and did our report. This time Gothenburg Post was directly affected by the actions of the gang and network. But there are others who are affected daily. 

Criminal gangs are terrorizing the neighborhoods where they operate and according to the police, affect tens of thousands of Gothenburgers just in our suburbs alone. In the last few days, we have been able to report on murdered children, kidnapped teachers, and witness testimonies withdrawn. 

The foremost mission of the media is to examine power. Those who run the criminal groups undoubtedly have both great influence and power. With that follows a great public interest, which motivates us to report as much as we know about the gangs and their leaders for our readers. Thus, in today's examination, we are publishing names and photos of convicted criminals who are identified by authorities as gang leaders. 

The power that a gang leader possesses is not official, compared to, for example, a politician or a business leader. These individuals often deny that they have such a role or a position of power. That makes our job harder but also more important. Behind today's publication lies months of intensive work which is based on several years of gathering knowledge and experience. Our reporters have gathered and put together official documents such as investigations and court judgments. They have interviewed sources, both public officials and people who speak (confidentially). Due to a lack of answers from the identified individuals, we have utilized their answers from trials and hearings in order to, in spite of everything, present their version. We have also interviewed those who are really affected by the gangs in our local community. All in all, we can show the influence and power the gangs and their leaders have, whether they admit it or not.

In Sweden, the number of shootings has increased this year compared to the past 5 years. At the same time, the situation in Western Sweden looks somewhat brighter. A partial explanation might be that so many gang criminals in leading positions are behind bars. But according to Mats Bergström, Acting Deputy Regional Chief for Region West, that can quickly change.

"Even if the numbers go in the right direction, something serious can happen that upsets it. The situation is so serious. We have heavy conflicts in our region, but we are keeping tabs on it, and we have found work methods that are working."

The Gothenburg Post will continue to watch and scrutinize what the authorities and politicians are doing to overcome the problem. But we will also examine the unofficial people in power who are causing so much pain to so many citizens.

Italy: The Human Cost of Illegal Migration

This article from Il Giornale is rather long. It took me two days to translate it, but it is well worth a read. This is how immigration has gone off the rails in Italy (as well as other Western European countries). No control over who is allowed in and who isn't. The result is hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants, radical Muslims, and various and sundry types of criminals. That has resulted in dead Italians, raped Italians, and Italian police being assaulted by people who should not even be in the country. 

The article mentions San Siro, a  neighborhood where I lived during my years in Milan in the 1980s. How sad to hear how it has been taken over by squatters and riff-raff.  

 https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cronache/immigrazione-criminale-i-reati-compagine-straniera-2041566.html

Rapes, fights, "cultural" crimes: The criminal immigration that frightens Italy

17 June 2022 - 07:23

The violent side of immigration between sexual crimes and attacks on police: " In Italy, a stable presence of the foreign component"

Francesca Bernasconi and Rosa Scognamiglio

Women and girls molested or raped in the middle of the street. Police officers and Carabinieri punched or threatened with knives. And girls mistreated or killed by their own relatives because they rejected the traditions of their own culture and wanted to live Western style. These are the crimes and attacks that appear on the news pages and involve criminal foreigners. And the phenomenon of criminal immigration, born contemporaneously with the arrival in Italy of social and cultural groups from various countries in the world, a phenomenon which, from the 1970s, has transformed the peninsula into an immigration state. But how has this trend transformed the criminal panorama?

The presence of different social, ethnic, and cultural groups inevitably brings about a transformation of criminal-specific points, (as) explained to Il Giornale by the criminologist Francesca Capozza, author of the book, Criminal Immigration, which analyzes the phenomenon, showing the face of foreign crime in Italy. "You see the stable presence of the foreign connection that takes the form of organized crime, within that municipality, of terrorism, as well as culturally-motivated crimes".

The numbers of foreign crime

Immigration is not synonymous with criminality. It's the opposite. Beginning in the 1970s, however, in our country, an increase in the arrival of people from other parts of the world with different customs and habits has been recorded. In addition to people who migrate legally, there are those (who migrate) illegally. This new movement has brought about a change in crime because, in addition to Italian crime, there is added the foreign component, which has gone on to change the general panorama of criminality and security.

The statistics, reported in the XIII Report of the Antigone Association on conditions of detention, tell of a rise in the number of foreigners present in Italian jails, which, beginning in the early 1990s, has undergone an "unstoppable" increase. Now, according to the data from the Justice Ministry, updated on 31 May, 2022, detained foreigners make up 17,136, of a total of 57,067 people in jail: a percentage that slightly surpasses 30%, as also confirmed by Francesca Capozza, who speaks of official data," which do not record, therefore, any unverified, subsequent involvement". In the large cities, however, this percentage goes up so much that, according to what is specified in Il Giornale by counselor Riccardo De Corato, "in Milan, over 70% of the prison population of San Vittore is composed of immigrants."

It is necessary, however, to point out that among the foreign detainees, the percentage of illegal migrants, reported in the Antigone report, is "between 60-80% depending on the type of crime. Not just that.  "Almost all of the migrants who commit crimes have previous arrests," points out Counselor De Corato. "I believe many of the illegals present in Italy are fleeing their own country of origin because they evidently have unfinished business with the justice (system), they probably can't walk around free or they risk heavy sentences. Otherwise, you cannot explain the motive in which they prefer to pay money to the smugglers, risking their lives at sea, rather than reach Italy by other means. I do not believe that they are all fleeing from war."

These percentages refer to criminality in general. But the activity of the foreign component varies according to the type of crimes committed. The XIII Antigone Report of 2017 connected the presence in jail of foreign criminals mostly to property crimes, relative to drugs, and connected to prostitution. "The type of crime mostly committed by them," Dr. Capozza explained to Il Giornale, concerns crimes against property (27%, in particular, thefts and robberies), against persons (31%, particularly deliberate personal injuries), violations of drug laws (about 31%)". On the other hand, the percentage of foreigners detained for Mafia-type crimes is low.

Rapes and  sexual molestations

It was shortly after dawn on August 9, 2021, when a 26-year-old Italian-South American was surprised from the back, dragged by the arm, and raped in an excavation ditch for water pipes in a construction site at Cascina Gobba, just steps from the San Raffaele Hospital, by a 31-year-old Egyptian without a regular residence permit. On the other hand, last December 6, a young (female) commuter was attacked on the Milan-Varese train by two young men in their early 20s. The first, who was reportedly the "lookout", is an Italian with drug addiction problems; the other-the material perpetrator of the attempted rape- is a Moroccan with a prior police record and illegally in Italy. And then the horror of New Years' Eve: nine young girls were molested by a gang of foreigners just steps from the Duomo (Cathedral) of Milan during the festivities for the beginning of the new year.

"I beg you, stop" That desperate cry, then the horror from the illegal (migrant)

"The data from Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics) speak clearly: Foreigners are 5 times more (often the perpetrators) in respect to crimes of sexual violence than Italians," points out Counselor Riccardo De Corato-notwithstanding the tightening of sentences, the molestations and the rapes are not diminishing. The policies that (protect) women do not seem to have taken effect within part of the foreign population-and the serious episode that took place New Years' Eve in Duomo Square confirms it- that they continue to consider the woman as an object, a property, with which, the man can do as he wants".

On June 2, five adolescents were harassed with shocking molestations on a train to Peschiera returning from a day spent at Lake Garda. The perpetrators, not yet all identified, reportedly directed racist insults at the young victims."You are white, you shouldn't be here (on the train-editor's note) ". A worrisome phenomenon, which signals a negative record in Lombardy (region), relative to sexual crimes. "In our capital (Milan-editor's note), the trend of the past few years has never seen a drop, unfortunately," adds De Corato-"On the contrary, it is rising slightly given that from 273 cases in 2011, it has passed 285 in 2021. In my opinion, the situation is very troubling."

"Culturally motivated" crimes 

No less alarming is the tendency relating to so-called "culturally motivated crimes", i.e. those crimes that ripen in a cultural context in contrast with the systems of rules and values in the host country. "The explanatory theories of foreign crime identify (multiple factors) of delinquent behavior in which the interior conflict between the culture of origin and value systems of the host country," explains Dr. Capozza, "which, within the same person, produces a contrast between  divergent cultural systems and norms (and) can lead to discomfort, insecurity, and confusion with the risk of maladjustment, psychiatric disturbance, and criminality."

Then there are other factors to take into consideration, for example, "the precarious economic conditions in which the immigrants are in," the expert continues. "The social marginalization of which they are often victims with the subsequent risk of "labeling", the absence of social groups and family references can favor the adoption of delinquent behaviors."

Among the culturally oriented crimes, those connected to the phenomenon of forced marriages are notably on the increase. According to the latest data released by the Viminale (Interior Ministry), two out of three victims are foreigners with a strong incidence of Pakistani women. "I believe that there is, at least on the part of some, also a large problem underestimating certain phenomena that are ignored and characterized as habits and customs of a culture (that are) to be respected," adds De Corato. "I am referring, for example, to the niqab (face covering) and female genital mutilation, the latter practice to which many children, daughters, and (non-EU) foreigners in our country are being subjected."

Estimates relative to infibulation (University of Milan, Bicocca 2019), on the other hand, account for 87,600 victims in Italy. Of these, 7000 are (female) children and girls little more than adolescents. "There is evidently still much to do to spread the culture of respect and equality in respect to women," concludes the security counselor for the Lombardy region. "Sometimes, we open our eyes realizing how serious the condition of cultural segregation is in which women are kept, here (Italy) as well, when incidents like that of Saman (Abbas) occur. Then everything falls back into forgetfulness, and we pretend not knowing that many Muslims consider women to be anthropologically inferior and subordinate to men." 

Attacks on police

Not just rapes, thefts, robberies, or "culturally-motivated" crimes. Violent immigration also affects the police. The latest incident goes back a few days when at Pisa, a (non-EU) foreigner, aged 30, attacked a policeman, hitting him with a violent punch. Not just that: During the episode, the young man reportedly destroyed the glass of the patrol car. 

In May of 2021, instead of being attacked, two police officers were working in Milan when a pair of North Africans in the country illegally went into a rage insulting the officers. Then the violence: Kicks and punches directed at the officers, both injured, so much they had to go to emergency care. One of the two police officers was treated for a fractured hand with a (recovery) prognosis of 25 days, while the other was diagnosed with a contusion on his elbow. Earlier, in January 2021, a group of foreigners had surrounded police officers, threatening them with a broken bottle and punching them several times.

According to the report, "Beaten cops" in 2021, furnished by ASAPS. the Association for safety on the streets, in 2021 physical attacks on officers totaled 2,655, more than 7 per day. Of these, 37% were caused by foreign citizens. But why this fury directed at police and Carabinieri, with the risk of being arrested? "On the one hand, the linguistic difficulty and knowledge of the culture and the rules make it difficult for the foreigner to be able to communicate and comprehend the social and judicial system in which he is inserted," explained the criminologist Francesca Capozza. But there is more. In fact, the expert continues, "on the other hand, the police at the time of the crime, represent the limit and the law from which they themselves are fleeing, or that they struggle to understand and accept, thus reactive emotions connected to them pour out."

The risk of radicalization

The data relative to the phenomenon of violent immigration, which clearly concerns only the extremist and radical fringe of the foreigners who reach Italy, outlines scenarios that are not very reassuring for the future. Milan, where the presence of illegal migrants has reached 50,000, is among the Italian cities most at risk. "It is evident that the choice of moving to Milan is not accidental. There is money, well-being, and work.  But there is also the question. The point at which many neighborhoods of the city are now (run by) the foreign element," explains De Corato. The public housing of San Siro, for example, is almost all occupied by Arab squatters. The same can be said for Corvetto, where there is a strong presence of foreigners from Eastern Europe, Roma (Gypsies), and Africans. They are all places where the government has lost contact with reality, and where, in my opinion, the situation is irreversible. And it is obvious then that the risk rising, violent criminality is elevated." 

Though the prospects are not encouraging, and the process of radicalization is a conceivable eventuality, we are not facing an irreversible crisis. "The only solution to guarantee the safety of our citizens is the presence of police on the ground. In Milan, for example, up until some time ago, there were neighborhood watches. Where did they go? The only deterrent is the presence everywhere of men in uniform, on foot, and the social concierge," concludes the Lombardy counselor. "But in the current state, with entire neighborhoods under assault by foreigners, it is practically impossible to apply solutions of this type. The people are afraid." 

Will California Protect Infanticide?

There is a disturbing bill winding its way through Sacramento that everyone should be aware of. It is Assembly Bill 2223, a bill supposedly designed to protect women and abortion providers from civil or criminal penalties for having/performing an abortion. It would restrict investigations and reporting into the cause of death of certain infant deaths. California currently allows abortion up to the viability of the fetus. What is particularly troubling in this bill is the use of the word, "perinatal". The below article is from the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative organization that opposes abortion as well as AB2223.

 https://aclj.org/pro-life/another-california-assembly-committee-amends-infanticide-bill-still-doesnt-fix-the-problem

As the article points out, the term, "perinatal" is generally defined as the period of the 20-28th week of pregnancy to about 28 days after the birth of a child. It would appear to afford protection for killing a baby that survives a botched abortion.

Regardless of how one feels about abortion, once a baby is delivered and is out of the womb and laying on a table breathing, the taking of that life should never be legal. At what point do we draw the line? Why stop at 28 days? Why not 6 months?

This is an evil piece of legislation. The word, "perinatal" is a deal-breaker and should not be in the language of the bill.

Mozambique's Refugee Crisis

Hat tip Breitbart

-Portal de Angola

The northeastern province of Cabo Delgado in Mozambique has suffered numerous attacks from ISIS affiliates in these last few years, of which we have previously reported. The most recent attacks in Cabo Delgado occurred last week and have resulted in approximately 17,000 refugees.

The Biden administration has announced it is sending 140 million dollars in aid to Mozambique (over 10 years) to assist in the refugee effort. I just hope it is in the form of food, supplies, medicine, etc., and not just cash.

The below article in the Portuguese-language Mozambican newspaper, Folha de Maputo is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.folhademaputo.co.mz/pt/noticias/nacional/mais-de-17-mil-pessoas-forcadas-a-fugir-apos-ataques-em-cabo-delgado/

More than 17,000 persons forced to flee after attacks in Cabo Delgado

June 17, 2022 at 08:02

More than 17,000 persons, mostly women and children, were forced to flee from their homes in the districts of Ancuabe and Chiure, in the province of Cabo Delgado, after the attacks of last week, the UN has reported.

In a press conference, the spokesperson for the secretary-general, Stephane Dujarric, gave a brief update Thursday on the situation in Cabo Delgado after the attacks of last week, indicating that at up to now, humanitarian organizations have assisted more than 1,700 persons while the UN humanitarian air service continues to transport supplies.

According to Dujarric, quoted by Lusa (News Service of Portugal), since the beginning of the year, the United Nations, together with its partners, has succeeded in reaching 100,000 people in Cabo Delgado, having distributed food, education, and hygiene "kits" to the local population.

"Our objective is to reach 84,000 with regular humanitarian assistance in the districts of Ancuabe and Meluco. And once again, we remind all parties in the conflict that they must respect and protect the civilians as well as facilitate the humanitarian aid, quickly, safely, and unimpeded to the civilians in need," affirmed the spokesperson of Antonio Guterres, at the UN has in New York.

"It is also fundamental that vulnerable people- including elderly, persons with disability, pregnant women, and unaccompanied or separated children- be reached with foods, shelter, protection, and other urgent assistance as rapidly as possible," he concluded.

Sweden: Imam Charged With Hate Speech

Hat tip RAIR Foundation, Vlad Tepes, and Gates of Vienna. Translation by Fousesquawk.

Basem Mahmoud

Swedish police have charged Malmo imam Basem Mahmoud with inciting hate towards Jews as a result of a sermon he gave in 2020 referring to Jews and the "offspring of pigs and apes.

The below-written article from Samnytt and accompanying video (Submitted by RAIR Foundation- pending) are translated (from the Swedish sub-titles) by Fousesquawk.

https://samnytt.se/video-imam-om-judarna-grisars-och-apors-avkomma/

Video: Imam on Jews: Offspring of pigs and apes"

In a sermon, Malmo imam Basem Mahmoud called Jews, "offspring of pigs and apes". Now he is charged for incitement against a people. Mahmoud denies the crime and says that he was only reading the Koran.

"When one reads the Koran, one cannot change anything," he says.

In October 2020, Imam Basem Mahmoud gave a sermon in his mosque in Malmo that was hostile to Christians and anti-Semitic. He accused Christians, Jews, Shia Muslims, and police authorities of conspiring with each other in a "snakes' nest"-synagogue- against faithful Muslims.

The imam talks about "the great battle" when all non-Muslims will be forced to submit themselves to Muslims and prays to Allah that the Muslim God will defeat or destroy Christians and Jews.

"Offsring of pigs and apes"

In part of his sermon, the imam calls Jews, "the offspring of pigs and apes".

"In all times, it is the same deceptive villains who stand in the way of the faithful. Everyone knows that the Western countries are run by Jews. Jews are their rulers. Jews are the offspring of pigs and apes. They are hostile to Muslims, but they will stand helpless against Islam," he says.

This is the portion of the sermon, which was also uploaded to YouTube, and for which Mahmoud is now being charged. 

Denies crime

In a police interrogation, Basem Mahmoud denies the crime. He claims that he only cites a passage from the Koran which (states) that Allah transformed people who did not believe in him into apes and pigs.

"When one reads the Koran, one cannot change anything, he says in the interrogation.

He also says that he, "cannot change his religion for the sake of Jews," and points out that he usually doesn't call Jews he meets on the street "apes" or" swine".

Defended murder of French teacher

It is not the first time that Basem Mahmoud has made controversial statements. Earlier he has, among others, defended the brutal murder of the French teacher, Samuel Paty, in 2020. 

"A person who loves his religion gets angry and slaughters the teacher with a knife in the gutter because the teacher is unclean, and the gutter is the only place he deserves," he commented on the brutal murder.

"It is a simple equation. One from their side sinned by insulting the Prophet, and one from our side sinned and killed the teacher who insulted the Prophet."

"Sweden is ours"

In another sermon, he has gone on the attack against social services and schools in Sweden and stated that the country is being taken over by Muslims.

"Sweden is ours. It is ours, whether they want it or not. In 10-15 years, it is ours," he said in a sermon earlier this year.

In December last year, Basem Mahmoud's 17-year-old daughter was taken in by social services. The reason was that the girl herself reported that she "had been abused psychologically and physically in the home for a long time." According to court proceedings, the girl lived in a strongly honor-controlled environment.

Father of 7 from Jordan

Basem Mahmoud originally came from the Jordanian capital of Amman. He immigrated to Sweden in 1989 by having married a Swedish woman who converted to Islam. Since 1983, he is a Swedish citizen.

Together with the Swedish woman, Mahmoud has 7 children, but the pair are now divorced. According to the woman, Mahmoud, over time, "became more religious and controlling". Several times she has asked for a (restraining order) against her former husband, but she has been refused by the court. 

*Update: Here is the aforementioned video from Samnytt.